Medicine containing polysacccharide substances for activating apoptosis

Abstract

The invention concerns the use of at least a polysaccharide substance having at least five saccharide units and comprising at least some single-unit motifs thereof, at least a substituent bearing at least a negative charge selected among the group comprising in particular the sulphate, acetate, phosphate, phosphonate groups, for preparing a medicine for activating apoptosis by increasing the number of apoptosis receptors at the cell surface, said receptors being those of the group comprising Fas, TNF, TRAIL, CD40, preferably Fas and TNF, receptors.

1 . The use of at least one polysaccharide substance having at least five saccharide units and comprising, on at least some of its individual units, at least one substituent carrying at least one negative charge, chosen from the group comprising in particular sulfate, acetate, phosphate and phosphonate groups, for preparing a medicine for activating apoptosis by increasing the number of apoptosis receptors at the cell surface, said receptors being those of the group comprising Fas, TNF, TRAIL and CD40 receptors, preferably Fas receptors.  
     
     
         2 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , of a polysaccharide substance of the group comprising: 
 the oligosaccharides derived, by enzymatic or chemical process, from the polymers of the group comprising β-1,3 glucans optionally comprising β-1,6 branchings, and comprising, on at least some of their individual units, at least one substituent carrying at least one negative charge, chosen from the group comprising in particular sulfate, acetate, phosphate and phosphonate groups,    the oligosaccharides derived, by enzymatic or chemical process, from sulfated galactans, in particular carrageenans, agars and porphyrans.    
     
     
         3 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , of a polysaccharide substance corresponding to the formula  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       in which Gluc represents glucose and n represents an integer from 1 to 50, preferably from 5 to 10, and in which the number of branches varies from 0 to 3 per repeat unit, and comprises, on at least some of its individual units, at least one substituent carrying at least one negative charge, chosen from the group comprising in particular sulfate, acetate and phosphate groups.  
     
     
         4 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , of a polysaccharide substance which is a repeat disaccharide corresponding to the formula  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       in which Gal represents galactose and n represents an integer from 1 to 50, preferably from 1 to 20, at least some of the repeat disaccharides of formula (II) possibly comprising one or more sulfate groups.  
     
     
         5 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , of dextran comprising, on at least some of its individual units, at least one substituent carrying at least one negative charge, chosen from the group comprising in particular sulfate, acetate, phosphate and phosphonate groups, preferably of sulfated dextran, and even more preferentially of the sulfated dextran marketed by the company SIGMA.  
     
     
         6 . The use as claimed in  claim 1 , of a natural polysaccharide extracted from red alga, of the iota-carrageenan type, marketed by the company HERCULES and having the formula  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       in which: 
 GAL represents galactose,  
 3,6 anhydro GAL represents 3,6 anhydrogalactose linked via a β1-4 linkage, and  
 n represents an integer from 2 to 300, preferably from 2 to 200,  
 the repeat disaccharides possibly carrying 2 sulfate esters.  
 
     
     
         7 . The use as claimed in one of  claims 1  to  6 , of a polysaccharide substance in combination with an anti-apoptosis receptor antibody, for preparing a medicine for activating apoptosis by increasing the number of apoptosis receptors at the cell surface.  
     
     
         8 . The use as claimed in one of  claims 1  to  7 , for preparing a medicine for treating diseases belonging to the group of autoimmune diseases, cancers and asthma.  
     
     
         9 . The use as claimed in one of  claims 1  to  8 , of a polysaccharide substance, for preparing a medicine provided in the form of an aerosol.  
     
     
         10 . The use as claimed in one of  claims 1  to  9 , of 0.1 to 0.01 mg/kg of body weight of the polysaccharide substance.  
     
     
         11 . A medicine characterized in that it comprises an effective amount of at least one polysaccharide substance as used in any one of  claims 1  to  6 , and in that it can be administered by inhalation.  
     
     
         12 . An aerosol characterized in that it comprises an effective amount of at least one polysaccharide substance as used in any one of  claims 1  to  6 .  
     
     
         13 . A medicine characterized in that it comprises an effective amount of at least one polysaccharide substance as used in any one of  claims 1  to  6 , and in that it can be administered topically, especially on the skin, and in particular in the form of an ointment or of a gel.